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Bulletin  253 


January,  1924 


s 

S3 


CONNECTICUT 
AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 


NEW  HAVEN,  CONN. 


Better  Forests  for  Connecticut 


HENRY  W.  HICOCK 


The  Woodlot  is  a  Farm  Problem 


Forestry  Publication  No.  14 


The  Bulletins  of  this  Station  are  mailed  free  to  citizens  of  Connecticut 
who  apply  for  them,  and  to  other  applicants  as  far  as  the  editions  permit. 


CONNECTICUT  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION 

OFFICERS  AND  STAFF 
January,    1924 


BOARD  OF  CONTROL. 

His  Excellency,  Charles  A.  Templeton,  ex-officio,  President. 

James  H.  Webb,  Vice-President Hamden 

George  A.  Hopson,  Secretary Mount  Carmel 

W.  L.  Slate,  Jr.,  Director  and  Treasurer New  Haven 

Joseph  W.  Alsop Avon 

Charles  R.  Treat Orange 

Elijah  Rogers Southington 

Edward  C.  Schneider Middletown 

STAFF. 
E.  H.  Jenkins,  Ph.D.,  Director  Emeritus. 


Administration. 


W.  L.  Slate,  Jh.,  B.Sc,  Director  and  Treasurer. 
Miss  L.  M.  Bbautlecht,  Bookkeeper  and  Librarian. 
Miss  J.  V.  Beegeh,  Stenographer  and  Bookkeeper. 
Miss  Mary  Bradley,  Secretary. 
William  Veitch,  In  charge  of  Buildings  and  Grounds. 


Chemistry. 

Analytical  Laboratory. 


E.   M.  Bailey",   Ph.D.,  Chemist  in  Charge. 

R.  E.  Andrew,   M.A. 

C.  E.  Shepard  I      .     .  ,     ,  „. 

Owen  L.   Nolan  |    Assistant  Chemists. 

Harry  J.   Fisher,  A.B.     J 

Frank  Sheldon,  Laboratory  Assistant. 

V.   L.   Churchill,  Sampling  Agent. 

Miss  Mabel  Bacon,  Stenographer. 


Biochemical 
Laboratory. 


iotany. 


T.  B.  Osborne,  Ph.D.,  Sc.D.,  Chemist  in  Charge. 


G.  P.  Clinton,  Sc.D.,  Botanist  in  Charge. 

E.  M.  Stoddard,  B.S.,  Pomologist. 

Miss  Florence  A.  McCormick,  Ph.D.,  Pathologist. 

G.  E.  Graham,  General  Assistant. 

Mrs.  W.  W.  Kelsey,  Secretary. 


Entomology. 


W.    E.    Britton,    Ph.D.,    Entomologist   in   Charge;    State    Enlo- 


Assistant  Entomologists. 


B.  H.  Walden,  B.Agr. 

M.  P.  Zappe,  B.S. 

Philip  Garman,  Ph.D. 

Roger  B.  Friend,  B.S.      J 

John  T.  Ashworth,  Deputy  in  Charge  of  Gipsy  Moth  Work. 

R.  C.  Botsford,  Deputy  in  Charge  of  Mosquito  Elimination. 

Miss  Gladys  M.  Finley,  Stenographer. 


Forestry. 


Walter  O.  Filley,  Forester  in  Charge. 
A.  E.  Moss,  M.F.,   Assistant  Forester. 
H.  W.  Hicock,  M.F.,  Assistant  Forester. 
Miss  Pauline  A.  Merchant,  Stenographer. 


Plant  Breeding. 


Donald  F.  Jones,  S.D.,  Geneticist  in  Charge. 
P.  C.  Manoelsdorf,  M.S.,  Assistant. 


Soil  Research. 


Tobacco  Sub-station 
at  Windsor. 


M.  F.  Morgan,  M.S.,  Investigator. 
C.  M.  Slagq,  M.S.,  in  Charge. 


The  Wilson  H.  Lee  Co. 


BETTER   FORESTS    FOR    CONNECTICUT.  131 


PRACTICAL.  SUGGESTIONS  TO  THE  WOODLOT  OWNER. 

Plant  idle  or  waste  land  with  fast  growing  coniferous  or  soft- 
wood trees. 

Improve  inferior  stands  of  young  hardwoods  by  planting  300 
to  500  coniferous  trees  per  acre. 

Improve  the  better  hardwood  stands  by  thinnings,  so  that  cord- 
wood  and  other  low  grade  material  may  be.  by-products  of  the 
forest  and  the  more  valuable  species  may  be  left  to  grow  to  saw- 
log  size. 

Develop  better  methods  for  selling  and  utilizing  woodlot 
products. 

Change  the  present  inequitable  method  of  forest  taxation  which 
forces  the  forest  crop  to  bear  an  annual  tax  thus  lowering  the  net 
returns  so  that  growing  timber  is  often  unprofitable. 

Work  for  better  protection  from  fire  and  other  enemies  of  the 

forest. 

Harvest  the  minor  products  of  the  forest,  thus  getting  several 
crops  from  the  same  area. 


132  CONNECTICUT  EXPERIMENT  STATION.  BULLETIN  253. 

THE  FORESTRY  SITUATION  IN  CONNECTICUT. 

Use  of  Forest  Products. 

*  Annual  consumption  of  sawed  lumber. .   350,000,000  Bd.  Ft. 

*Annual  production  of  sawed  lumber 65,000,000  Bd.  Ft. 

Ratio  of  consumption  to  production 5  to  1 

The  Forests  of  the  State. 

f  Total  land  area  of  the  state 3,085,000  acres. 

Land  in  forest  or  suitable  only  for  forest 

(estimated)  at  least 1,500,000  acres. 

*Present  annual  production 65,000,000  Bd.  Ft. 

Annual  per  acre  production  on  a  basis  of 

1,500,000   acres 40  Bd.  Ft. 

Minimum  yield  per  acre  per  year  to  be 
expected  under  reasonable  manage- 
ment and  protection 300  Bd.  Ft. 

Minimum  annual  yield  to  be  expected 

on  1,500,000  acres 450,000,000  Bd.  Ft. 

Possible  maximum  yield  per  acre  per 
year 1,000  Bd.  Ft. 

Possible    maximum    annual    yield    on 

1,500,000  acres 1,500,000,000  Bd.  Ft. 

Annual  Freight  Bill 

on  lumber  from  other  states $3,000,000 

*As  reported  by  the  U.  S.  Forest  Service. 
fAs  reported  in  the  1920  Census. 


The  Need  for  Forestry  in  Connecticut. 


New  England  was  one  of  the  first  forest  regions  in  the  United 
States  to  be  exploited  for  lumber  and  at  present  is  probably  suffer- 
ing more  acutely  from  timber  scarcity  with  resulting  high  prices 
than  any  other  region.  This  condition  has  come  about  in  a  very 
natural  manner.  As  timber  becomes  scarce  in  any  section  the 
bulk  of  the  lumbermen  move  to  some  new  region.  When  the  supply 
in  New  England  ran  low  the  movement  was  to  western  New  York, 
Pennsylvania  and  the  Lake  States.  Later  it  was  to  the  forests  of 
the  Southeastern  States  and  more  recently  to  the  Pacific  Coast. 


Long  Hauls  Make  Lumber  Costly. 

Each  successive  move  has  taken  the  major  part  of  the  industry 
farther  from  New  England.  The  result  is  that  this  region  has  been 
obliged  not  only  to  pay  an  increasingly  higher  freight  rate  due  to  a 
longer  haul  but  also  to  compete  for  the  products  needed  with  regions 
which  lie  between  it  and  the  source  oj  supply. 

The  Pacific  Coast  timber  which  is  the  only  large  remaining  vir- 
gin stand  in  the  country  will,  at  the  present  rate  of  cut,  last  about 
50. years.  When  it  is  gone  this  country  will  be  dependent  chiefly  on 
the  current  growth  from  lands  that  have  been  cut  over.  Logging 
methods  in  virgin  stands  have  been  very  wasteful  with  practically 
no  effort  to  provide  in  any  way  for  a  new  crop  to  replace  the  one 
removed.  In  addition  much  of  the  area  already  logged  has  been 
burned  over  one  or  more  times.  The  result  is  that  there  are  in  the 
United  States  some  80,000,000  acres  of  barren  waste  which  is  pro- 
ducing nothing  and  a  much  larger  area  on  which  the  productivity 
is  not  over  20%  of  what  the  land  is  capable  of  growing. 


134 


CONNECTICUT  EXPEEIMENT   STATION. 


BULLETIN  253. 


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BETTER  FORESTS  FOR  CONNECTICUT.  135 

If  the  United  States  must  ultimately  depend  for  timber  on  cur- 
rent growth  rather  than  on  the  accumulated  growth  of  centuries 
(virgin  timber)  the  aim  should  be  to  divide  up  the  country  into 
several  units,  each  practically  self  supporting  with  regard  to 
timber.  The  result  of  such  a  division  would  be  to  lower  trans- 
portation costs  and  stabilize  prices.  New  England  should  form 
such  a  unit.  There  is  enough  non-agricultural  land  within  its 
borders  to  produce  timber  in  sufficient  amounts  and  of  suitable 
kinds  for  its  industries.    Northern  New  England  is  a  forest  region. 


Conifers  Increase  the  Yield  on  Hardwood  Land. 


It  can  produce  much  more  timber  than  is  needed  locally  and  will 
probably  always  have  a  surplus  to  export  to  other  districts.  Its 
products  are  chiefly  soft  wood.  Southern  New  England  is  an 
industrial  region  and  consequently  a  big  market  for  forest  products. 
It  has  enough  non-agricultural  land  to  produce  a  quantity  of  lumber 
sufficient  for  its  needs  but  it  cannot  grow  all  the  kinds  required.  It 
must  therefore  import  lumber  but  to  offset  this  it  should  have  an 
equal  quantity  to  export  in  order  to  preserve  the  balance. 

Connecticut  is  a  part  of  southern  New  England  and  the  re- 
mainder of  this  report  will  be  devoted  to  its  forest  problems,  with 
suggestions  for  the  improvement  of  the  forests,  particularly  the 
farmers'  woodlots. 


136  CONNECTICUT  EXPERIMENT  STATION.  BULLETIN  253. 

THE  FORESTS  OF  CONNECTICUT. 

The  annual  consumption  of  sawed  lumber  in  Connecticut  is 
approximately  350  million  board  feet  and  of  this  amount  only  65 
million  board  feet  or  about  one-fifth  is  produced  within  the  state. 

The  total  land  area  of  the  state  is  3,085,000  acres  and  of  this 
at  least  one  half,  or  1,500,000  acres,  may  be  classed  as  non-agri- 
cultural or  forest  land.  On  the  assumption  that  the  forest  land 
area  is  1,500,000  acres,  the  present  annual  production  per  acre  is 
only  40  board  jeet.  This  is  very  low.  With  reasonable  care  and 
protection  300  board  feet  per  acre  per  year  is  the  minimum  that  ought 
to  be  expected  and  the  possible  maximum  might  run  as  high  as  1,000 
board  feet  per  acre  annually.  On  the  basis  of  1,500,000  acres,  the 
total  annual  yield  should  be  between  450  million  and  1,500  million 
board  feet. 

These  figures  indicate  a  two-fold  problem. — 

1.  A  land  problem.  By  better  treatment  and  protection  to 
make  the  poorer  non-agricultural  lands  produce  a  reasonable  crop, 
thereby  raising  their  status  from  that  of  a  doubtful  asset  or  even 
a  liability  to  that  of  a  profit  producing  asset. 

2.  A  timber  problem.  To  produce  annually  within  the  state 
at  least  450  million  board  feet  of  sawed  products.  This  would 
make  the  state  practically  self  supporting.  Some  timber  would, 
of  course,  be  imported  to  supply  the  need  for  kinds  that  cannot  be 
grown  here  but  to  offset  this  there  would  be  some  native  timber  for 
export. 

It  may  be  noted  from  the  table  (page  134)  that  there  are  1,187,000 
acres,  or  38%  of  the  land  area  of  the  state,  not  in  farms.  It  is  not 
possible  to  determine  definitely  the  present  status  of  the  land  not 
in  farms  but  it  may  be  reasonably  assumed  that  not  less  than  25% 
of  it,  or  300,000  acres,  is  forest  land.  This  added  to  the  1,200,000 
acres  on  farms  makes  1,500,000  acres  which  is  a  conservative  figure 
and  agrees  closely  with  the  figure  of  1,483,000  acres  abtained  by 
the  forest  survey  of  Connecticut  in  1914.*  It  is  quite  possible  that 
this  estimate  could  be  increased  by  including  with  the  forest  land, 
all  pastures  reverting  to  forest.  This  may  or  may  not  be  correct. 
Furthermore  it  involves  the  question  of  proper  utilization  of  land 
which  beyond  the  scope  of  this  report. 

This  table  shows  that  63%  of  the  farm  land  of  the  state  is  unim- 
proved. This  figure  varies  with  the  several  counties  but  in  no 
case  is  it  under  50%.  Improved  land  is  given  in  the  census  as 
"land  regularly  tilled  or  mowed,  land  in  pasture  which  has  been 
cleared  or  tilled,  land  lying  fallow,  land  in  gardens,  orchards, 
vineyards,  and  nurseries  and  land  occupied  by  buildings."  Unim- 
proved land  constitutes  the  remainder  of  the  farm  and  is  chiefly 
woodland,  brush  land,  waste  land  and  swamp.  This  unimproved 
land  is  usually  too  poor  to  till  and  of  a  doubtful  value  for  pasture. 


*A  Forest  Survey  of  Connecticut  by  Albert  E.  Moss. 


BETTER   FORESTS    FOR   CONNECTICUT. 


137 


In  general  it  is  fit  only  to  grow  trees  because  they  are  not  exacting 
in  their  soil  requirements. 

Obviously  the  forest  problem  is  largely  a  farmers'  problem 
since  farmers  as  a  class  own  the  most  woodland.  For  most  of  them 
the  situation  is  an  acute  one  because  then  woodlots,  averaging  in 
area  more  than  one-half  the  farm,  are  in  a  very  low  state  of  produc- 
tivity due  to  fire,  ravages  of  various  diseases  and  insects,  indis- 
criminate cutting  and  general  misuse.  In  fact,  it  is  a  question 
whether  or  not  many  woodlots  are  paying  expenses  (i.e.,  interest 
and  taxes)  to  say  nothing  of  showing  a  profit.     An  industrial 


,.«     v  ,         : 


■~---\ 


Thinning  in  a  Young  Hardwood  Stand. 

organization  either  improves  a  poor  paying  line  or  abandons  it.  The 
farmer  must  do  likewise  for  he  cannot  continue  indefinitely  to  make 
his  tilled  land  support  itself  and  the  woodlot  also.  If  the  woodlot 
cannot  be  made  to  pay  it  should  be  abandoned,  but  in  most  cases 
this  will  not  be  necessary  because  with  reasonable  handling  it  will 
improve  to  a  point  where  it  will  pay. 

In  improving  the  forest  there  should  be  three  main  objectives: — 
1.  To  handle  the  present  deciduous  or  hardwood  forest  for  bet- 
ter quantity  and  quality  production.  Quantity  may  be  increased 
by  favoring  fast  growing  species  and  by  reducing  the  competition 
which  is  always  so  keen  in  natural  stands.  Quality  may  be  im- 
proved by  favoring  the  most  valuable  species  and  the  best  individ- 
uals.   Both  objects  can  be  attained  through  systematic  thinning. 


138  CONNECTICUT   EXPEKIMENT    STATION.  BULLETIN   253. 

2.  To  gradually  introduce  conifers  into  the  hardwood  stands. 
Most  conifers  grow  faster  and  yield  more  per  acre  than  hardwoods. 
Moreover  80%  of  all  lumber  used  is  softwood  from  coniferous 
trees. 

3.  To  treat  the  forest  as  a  source  of  repeated  crops  of  timber 
capable  of  improvement,  rather  than  a  non-renewable  resource 
to  be  exploited  to  its  fullest  extent  and  then  abandoned.  Field 
crops  require  weeding,  thinning,  protection  from  enemies  and 
suitable  treatment  to  assure  reproduction.  Forest  crops  require 
similar  care,  though  not  as  intensively  applied,  to  secure  compar- 
able results. 

Some  Suggestions  to  the  Woodlot  Owner. 

1.  Thin  the  young  woodlot  systematically  thereby  getting  rid 
of  the  poorer  species  and  unhealthy  individuals,  allowing  the  best 
specimens  to  develop  without  excessive  competition.  The  final 
yield  will  be  as  large  and  of  better  quality  than  in  an  unthinned 
stand  and  the  material  taken  out  will  more  than  pay  for  the  opera- 
tion. 

2.  Plant  at  least  1,000  conifers  each  year  for  timber  produc- 
tion. The  cost  will  be  not  over  $15.00  and  the  area  covered  from 
one  to  two  acres  depending  on  whether  the  planting  is  in  the  open 
or  in  brush.  The  attention  required  by  a  plantation  is  relatively 
small. 

3.  Grow  Christmas  trees  on  old  pastures  on  a  ten  year  rota- 
tion. This  is  a  better  use  of  land  than  allowing  it  to  grow  up  to 
grey  birches  and  is  far  more  profitable.  Up  to  three  thousand 
trees  per  acre  can  be  used  for  this  purpose. 

4.  Avoid  selling  timber  by  the  lot.  In  most  cases  the  buyer 
reaps  an  excessive  profit,  a  part  of  which  rightfully  belongs  to  the 
owner. 

5.  Make  use  of  the  present  forest  tax  law.  The  law  is  not  ideal 
but  it  favors  the  forest  owner  far  more  than  the  town  assessors. 
Work  for  a  better  tax  law. 

6.  Keep  domestic  animals  out  of  woodland  as  a  general  rule. 
A  limited  amount  of  grazing  may  do  no  harm  but  over-grazing  is 
detrimental  to  the  woodlot.  The  better  plan  is  to  fence  off  the 
amount  needed  for  grazing  and  use  it  only. 

7.  Grow  saw  timber.  Cordwood  should  be  obtained  from  thin- 
nings and  not  by  skinning  immature  stands.  This  latter  process 
puts  the  lowest  value  on  all  species  whereas  such  species  as  hickory, 
ash,  whitewood,  and  red  oak  will  bring  high  prices  if  grown  to 
saw-log  size. 

8.  Market  more  of  the  minor  products  of  the  forest,  as  ferns, 
mountain  laurel  and  maple  sugar. 

9.  Look  upon  the  woodlot  as  one  of  the  resources  of  the  farm 
and  not  as  something  to  pay  taxes  on.    Figure  out  just  how  profit- 


BETTER   FORESTS    FOR    CONNECTICUT. 


139 


able  the  woodlot  is.  If  it  is  not  paying  taxes  and  other  overhead 
charges  and  allowing  the  owner  a  fail*  return  for  his  investment  in 
land,  try  to  find  out  where  the  trouble  is  and  remedy  it. 

10.  Cooperate  with  the  Connecticut  Forestry  Association,  an 
organization  which  is  working  to  advance  forestry  in  the  state. 

11.  Consult  the  Foresters  of  the  Connecticut  Agricultural 
Experiment  Stations,  New  Haven,  and  the  Connecticut  Agricul- 
tural College,  Storrs. 


Thinned  Pine  Plantation,  28  years  old. 


Benefits  to  be  expected  from  the  improvement  of  the  forest. 

1.     To  the  owner. 

a.     Winter  employment  for  farm  labor  and  teams. 


b. 
c. 
d. 
e. 


Full  utilization  of  land,  no  unprofitable  acres. 
Income  more  evenly  distributed  throughout  the  year. 
Greater  farm  value  if  the  owner  wishes  to  sell. 
Larger  loans  from  the  Federal  Land  Bank. 
To  the  community. 

a.  Plentiful  domestic  lumber  with  low  freight  rates. 

b.  More  woodworking  plants  resulting  from  an  assured 

supply  of  materials.     This  means  closer  utiliza- 
tion and  better  prices  for  woodlot  products. 

Better  protection  of  water  supplies. 

Increased  value  of  the  forests  for  recreation. 


c. 
d. 


140  CONNECTICUT   EXPERIMENT    STATION.  BULLETIN   253. 


CONCLUSION. 

There  have  been  three  major  causes  for  the  present  low  produc- 
tivity of  the  forests  of  Connecticut  and  of  the  United  States  as  a 
whole.  These  must  be  corrected  before  any  real  progress  can  take 
place.    They  are: — 

1.  Forest  Fires.  It  is  a  reasonably  safe  statement  that  fire 
has  been  the  greatest  single  factor  in  lowering  the  yield  of  our 
forests.  At  least  two-thirds  of  all  forest  fires  are  caused  by  negli- 
gence or  carelessness.  This  condition  can  best  be  handled  by 
building  up  a  strong  public  sentiment  against  the  persons  respon- 
sible. 

2.  Inequitable  taxation.  A  woodland  owner  must  carry  his 
forest  for  several  decades  before  he  gets  any  returns.  During  the 
growing  period  the  town  assessors  may  and  usually  do  raise  his 
valuation  several  times.  This  often  forces  the  owner  to  cut  sooner 
than  he  otherwise  would.  This  method  of  taxing  woodland  may  be 
likened  to  taxing  a  corn  crop  four  or  five  times  during  a  season  and 
at  a  higher  valuation  each  time. 

3.  Poor  cultural  practice,  both  in  caring  for  the  current  crop 
and  in  failing  to  provide  for  future  crops  as  well  as  unnecessary 
waste  in  logging  and  milling. 

The  forest  owner  cannot  be  blamed  directly  for  the  evils  result- 
ing from  fire  and  taxes  except  that  he  has  endured  the  losses 
therefrom  without  attempting  to  relieve  the  situation.  Better 
legislation  and  stricter  enforcement  of  existing  statutes  are 
needed.  Forest  owners  can  get  these  things  only  by  going  after 
them  and  pulling  together. 

The  evils  arising  from  not  using  practical  forestry  methods  in 
growing  and  harvesting  the  timber  crop  can  be  charged  directly 
to  the  owner  and  can  be  corrected  only  by  him.  It  is  true  that  the 
financial  inducements  to  use  better  methods  have  not  been  great 
but  the  same  may  be  said  of  many  other  things  that  we  undertake 
with  the  conviction  that  they  are  worth  while.  If  our  grandfathers 
had  adopted  reasonable  methods  in  handling  their  woodlots  we 
would  not  now  be  obliged  to  pay  a  dollar  for  the  material  for  a 
pantry  shelf.  If  we  are  content  to  continue  to  use  their  methods 
it  will  probably  cost  the  next  generation  two  dollars.    Is  this  fair? 


538B       70 


University  of 
Connecticut 

Libraries 


39153029222017 


